Pile-driving attachment



(No Model.)

T. OGONNELL.

PILE DRIVING ATTACHMENT.

,267. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

A l m Ra Ph J-Lvhogmphen Washington. QC

JUNITE STATES PATENT .OFFICE-C THOMAS OCONNELL, OF BROOKLYN, NIHV YORK.

FILE-DRIVING ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,267, dated October 16,1888.

Application filed February 7, 1898. Serial Nn.(l3,232.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, THOMAS OCONNELL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PileDriving Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

I My invention relates to an improvement in attachments for pile-drivers, and more particularly to a pile-guide to be used in connection with said drivers.

The object of my invention is to provide a guide for keeping a pile in position between the ways of a pile-driver which shall be more effective in use and operation than those heretofore constructed, and yet shall be exceedingly cheap in first cost and durable and not liable to become broken or injured; and a further object is to provide a pileguide consisting of an outer ring to engage and slide upon the ways of a driver, and an inner expan'sibl'e or adjustable ring to embrace the pile and guide the same and prevent its end or head from splitting.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my complete device, showing the ways of a piledriver in crosssection; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the device; Fig. 3, a section on line or 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on line on a of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a detail view of one of the adjusting-screws to regulate the adjustable ring.

In the drawings, the reference-letter A represents the usual vertical ways of a piledrivcr. B represents the main frame or outer ring of the guide, which is preferably composed of two symmetrical segments provided at their adjoining ends with the laterally-extending flanges or arms I), and the segments are secured together by means of adjusting-screws O G,

(No model.)

which pass loosely through the adjoining flanges of the segments near the inner ends of the flanges, as shown. The adjustingscrews are provided upon one end, preferably, with an angular head and upon the opposite end with a reduced threaded portion, so that the sections of the outer frame or ring can be separated when desired. The portions of the screws which pass through the flanges are smooth-faced, to allow the same to freely rotate in their hearings in the flanges, and between the smooth-faced portions each screw is provided with the right and left threads 1) b extending from the smooth-faced portions to the center of the screw, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The outer ends of the flanges b are adapted to pass upon the opposite sides of the ways A and loosely engage the same, so that the outer frame or ring can freely slide veitically upon and be guided accordingly.

A guide bar or block, D, islocated upon each side of the outer frame between the ways of the driver and the adjusting screws, and said guide-bars consist, preferably, of a flat bar of metal provided with reduced portions or tenons adapted to extend through apertures in the opposite flanges of the sections of the outer frame, and the shoulders formed by the reduced portions abut against the inner faces of the flanges, and thus hold them the required distance apart and from spreading by turning or riveting the tongue or projection on the outer sides of the flanges.

An eXpansible or adjustable ring, E, preferably circular in form and substantially or preferably symmetrical in outline with the outer frame, is supported by and located within the same, and said expansible ring is formed in two sections, each being provided at its ends with the outwardly or laterally extending flanges or projections 0, adapted to extend outwardly between the flanges of the outer frame. The middle of the inner ring is preferably formed thicker than the ends and tapers toward each end. This thickness is designed to strengthen the clamping ring where the most strain occurs, and which equalizes the grip all around the pile. The opposite flanges or projections of one section of the inner expansiblc ring are provided with apertures having an internal right hand thread, each aperture bcing adapted to receive the right'hand-threaded portion of an adjusting-screw, and the flanges of the opposite section of the expansible ring are provided with corresponding apertures having an internal left-hand thread to receive the left-hand-threaded portion of the adjusting-screws. Thus it will be seen that when the ad j Listing-screws are turned in one direction the flanges of the inner or expansible ring will be drawn toward each other and the ring contracted, and that when the screws are turned in the opposite direction the flanges will recede from each other and the ring will be expanded. The ends of the flanges e of the inner ring are bifurcated, as shown, to receive the guide-bars D, the forks of the bifurcated ends extending upon each side of the guide bars, and as the sections of the inner rings are adjusted it will be readily seen that the bifurcated ends slide upon and are guided by said guide-bars.

WVhen a pile, post, or the like is placed in position to be embedded by a driver provided with one of the herein-described pile holders or guides, the holder is moved upon the way or ways of the driver to the upper end of the pile, and the expansible or inner ring is then fitted tightly upon the upper end of the same by the adj listing-screws, and as the pile is driven downward the guide moves with it, the outer frame or ring sliding upon the ways of the driver. When the pile is driven into the desired position, the adjusting screws are turned so as to expand the inner ring and free it from the pile. The guide can then be hoisted to the top of the ways by means of ropes or the like fastened to the eyes f, cast with or secured to the outer frame or ring.

The advantages attained by the use of the herein-described holder or guide will be readily seen and understood by practical persons experienced in and acquainted with the art. The device is especially useful in holding the pile and guiding it downwardly in a vertical and upright position and preventing it from sagging laterally, thereby saving much unnecessary time and labor, and it is also exceedingly effective in preventing the end of the pile or post from splitting and spreading, as is commonly the case.

It is obvious that the guide or holder can be used in connection with any machine for driving piles, posts, or the like which employs one or more ways or leads; and it is also obvious that the invention is notconfined to an adjustable holding-ring and outer frame annular or ring-shaped in form, the term ring being merely used throughout the specification and claims for convenience, as the clamping and holding ring or frame can be constructed of any desired shape to conform to the contour of the piles or posts usually operated upon, and the outer or supporting frame can be of any form which experience shows will more firmly hold and carry the clamping-frame.

It is clearly evident that numerous slight changes might be made in the form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The herein-described pile holder or guide, comprising the main outer arms or flanges adapted to holdthedeviceagainstdisplacement and allowit to freely slide upon the way orleads of a driver, and an expansible ring or frame in sections and adapted to embrace or hold a pile, said ring being adj ustably supported and carried by the outer arms or flanges and provided with inner arms or flanges located between the outer flanges and having means for adjusting the size of said ring orframe, as set forth.

2. The combination,with an outer frameprovided with arms or flanges engaging the Ways or leads of a driver and adapted to freelyslide upon the same, of a clamping, holding, and adjustable ring or frame supported by and within the outer frame and adapted to embrace and hold a pile, and adjusting-screws for regulating the size of the holding frame or ring, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with an outer frame formed in sections and provided with flanges adapted to engage the ways of a pile-driver,

of an inner expansible ring supported by the outer frame and formed in sections provided with flanges having screw-threaded apertures, and adjusting-screws passing through the flanges of the outer and inner frames, substantially as described.

4. In a pileguide, the combination,with an outer frame formed in sections and provided with outwardly-extending flanges, and an inner expansible ring formed in sections and provided with flanges extending between the flangesof the outer frame, of adj usting-screws provided with right and left hand threads, and guide bars or blocks, substantially as described.

5. In a pile-guide, the combination,with an outer frame formed in sections and provided with outwardly-extending flanges,and an inner expansible ring formed in sections and provided with flanges extending between the flanges of the outer frame and having bifurcated or forked ends, of adj usting-screws provided with right and left hand threads and extending through the flanges of the outer frame and inner ring, and guide bars or blocks carried between the flanges of the outer frame and extending into the bifurcated ends of the inner ring, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS OOONNELL.

Vituesses:

HUBERT E. PECK, Guns. M. WERLE. 

